Gabriel didnt return to his office alone. Trailing behind him were three senior employees, their demeanors wilted like frost-stricken eggplants. Fresh from being reprimanded in the meeting, they now faced a continuation of the dressing-down in his office.

These three werent just any staffthey were vice presidents, accustomed to walking with swagger in front of their subordinates, exuding authority and command. But now? They resembled mice before a cat. Though they werent visibly ...